Ball driving device



Jan. '25, 1938. H. A. BODGE BALL DRIVING DE ICE Filed Aug. 5, 1936INVENTOR Ham ca ,4. 50096 BY Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to ball driving devices for games ofvariable types adapted for either indoor or outdoor amusements, andincludes a portable standard having a base member disposed to bear uponthe floor or ground and provided with a driving-head hingedly supportedfrom said stand and adapted to be disposed adjacent the ball to bedriven thereby.

The objects of the invention include a manually operated handle slidablymounted for vertical movement within the standard and adapted bydownward pressure to outwardly project the driving-head against theball.

The objects also include manual operating means that provides a.relatively undisturbed aim for the driving force applied against theball, and resilient means that affords both a return movement of theoperating parts of the device and a measure of control for the downwardoperative movement of the handle.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference is had to the following description andaccompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the variousfeatures of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Referring to the drawing in which similar characters of referencedesignate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an elevational view embodying my invention, shown partiallyin section.

Figure 2 is a similar View taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a reduced scale view showing the driving-head in projecteddotted line position.

In Fig. 1 numeral l0 designates a tubular standard having at its lowerend a base-plug ll detachab-ly secured within the tube by the removablepin l2. A manually controlled operating handle I3 is provided for thetubular standard, the upper end of the latter being disposed toslidingly receive for longitudinal guiding movement the lower end of theoperating handle.

Also provided for the standard is a drivinghead [4 carried from thelower end of the arm IS, the upper end of the latter being bent andperforated at It and extended through a laterally elongated slot llformed in a wall of the standard where it is connected to the bottom ofthe operating handle by the screw l8 which passes through theperforation l6.

For supporting the several parts of the device within the standard inthe normal manner indicated in Fig. 1, a guide block I9 is mounted forvertical sliding movement within the standard and is provided with anupper angular face '20 engaging the bent portion of the driving-head.arm -I 5, the lower face 2| of the blockbeing flatthe driving-head arml5 inserted through the 10 slot I] of the standard, in which positionsthe two members may be secured together by the screw 18 from the 'open.base of the standard, after which the block I9, spring 22 andbase-plugi! may be successively inserted andsecured tov15 gether by the pin l2.

With the several-parts thusconnected together and mounted within thestandard, the driving device presents a comparatively simple and compactconstruction, free from exterior complica- 20 tion, readily shiftablefrom place to place and normally maintained in operative positionwhereby a manual downward pressure upon the operating handle will causethe bent end of arm I 5 to rotate about the lateral hinge slot l1 andproject the driving-head M, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Theprojecting action of the drivinghead is effected in opposition to thespring 22, the latter suitably tensioned and cooperating with the blockl9 both to return the several operative 30 parts to their normallyoperative positions and to efiect a smoothly operating hinge joint.

In its operation the base or base plug I I of the device is securelyheld by the operating handle against the floor or ground surf-ace overwhich 35 the ball is to be driven, the driving-head being positionedadjacent the ball and in line with the desired path thereof and in whichposition the driving-head is subjected to a variable manual projectingforce applied by means of both hands 40 of the operator upon the handleto insure stability of the standard without disturbing said alinement oraim.

By varying the manually applied force the travel of the ball may beregulated and its action 45 readily controlled.

It is to be understood that while I illustrate and describe thepreferred embodiment of the invention, it is susceptible of variouschanges as regards its form, proportions, detail construction, 50 andarrangement of parts without departing from the essential spirit andscope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. A ball-driving device comprising a tubular 55 standard having a basemember at its lower end and provided intermediate its ends with a slotextending through an outer wall thereof, a driving-head having anupwardly projecting arm provided with an inwardly bent portion extendingthrough the slot in said standard, a guide-block slidably mounted withinsaid tubular standard and engaging the inwardly bent portion of thedriving-head arm, an operating handle slidable in the upper end of saidtubular standard and connected at its lower end to the inwardly bentportion of the driving-head arm, and a compression spring disposedwithin said tubular standard and between said base member and guideblockand normally adapted to raise said operating handle and retract saiddriving-head, and upon the manual downward movement of the operatinghandle to compress said spring and outwardly project said driving-headfrom said standard to drive the ball.

2. A ball-driving device comprising a tubular standard, a driving-headnormally disposed in retracted position exteriorly adjacent the lowerend of said standard, the said head having an arm section extendinginwardly of said standard for the pivotal support thereof, an operatinghandle slidable lengthwise within said standard and disposed to receivethe lateral support and downward force from both hands of the operator,and coupling means between said handle and the inwardly extendingarm-section of said head.

3. In a ball-driving device, a tubular standard having a slot extendingthrough the wall thereof, a driving-head having an arm-section leadingthrough said slot and inwardly of said standard for the pivotal supportof the head, an operating handle slidable lengthwise within said tubularstandard, coupling means between said handle and the inwardly extendingarm-section of the driving-head, and resilient means within saidstandard disposed to upwardly urge said operating handle and retractsaid driving-head.

4. A ball-driving device comprising a tubular standard having a basemember, a driving-head supported exteriorly adjacent said standard forengaging a ball, the said head having an armsection extending inwardlyof said standard, an operating handle slidable lengthwise within saidstandard for manual downward movement, coupling means between saidhandle and the inwardly extending arm-section of the drivinghead, aguide-block slidable lengthwise within said standard, and a compressionspring disposed between the said base-member and the guideblock andupwardly urging the latter to effect the retraction of the driving-headby the release of the downward manual pressure on the operating handle.

5. A ball driving device comprising a tubular standard, a driving-headsupported thereby and normally disposed in retracted position exteriorlyadjacent said standard, the said head having an arm-section extendinginwardly of said standard, an operating handle manually slidablelengthwise Within said standard and having coupling means to saidinwardly extending arm-section of the driving-head, and a compressionspring disposed within the latter and normally acting in opposition tothe inward movement of said operating handle, and upon the release ofsaid inward manual movement to retract said driving-head by the reactionof said spring.

' HORACE A. BODGE.

